The vision for Real Life Homesteaders is provide support and education for homesteaders from Ohio and throughout the United States from a realistic perspective. Homesteading is amazing, but it can also be challenging. We want our conferences not to just be the “social media version” of Homesteading, but the reality of the joys and challenges, the ups and downs, the wins and losses, and how to not just survive but to thrive as a homesteader!
The Founders
Marc Whitaker is the youngest of three children and grew up on his family’s 120 acre farm in Ohio where he raised Dexter beef cattle for over 10 years, had chickens, milking goats, geese, organic row crops, hay, and was involved in the health food industry. When he met and married his wife, Jocelin, they founded Whitaker’s Natural Market in Bellville, Ohio which is a health food homesteading store. He lives with his wife and daughter in the country on a 44 acre organic farm where they have dairy cows, beef cattle, laying hens, meat chickens, cats, make their own hay, and run a raw milk herdshare program! You will find him in the barn milking 10-12 Jersey girls twice daily as well as the many projects it takes to keep a farm and homestead running.
Dr. Jocelin Whitaker, ND, PhD, was born and raised in Orlando, Florida but happily calls the Bellville, Ohio area home where she lives with her husband and daughter in the country on a 44 acre organic farm where they have dairy cows, beef cattle, laying hens, meat chickens, cats, make their own hay, and run a raw milk herdshare program! She grew up on a family homestead and is now an avid homesteader and farmer’s wife. As a homeschool student herself, she was able to include her interest in natural medicine in her studies laying a strong foundation as well as her personal interest in approaching health from Biblical and natural methods. She is a Doctor of Traditional Naturopathy (N.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Health (PhD) as well as having her degrees as a Certified Aromatherapist (CA), Doctor of Biblical Medicine (D.B.M.), Certified Nutritional Counselor (C.N.C.), Holistic Health Practitioner Degree (HHP), and Certified Chaplain in Holistic Approaches (C.C.H.A.) from New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal Studies as well as Certified Fertility Counselor (CFC) and Certified BioEnergetic Technician. She is also the author of the book – The Real Truth About the Danger of Stevia and Xylitol. She enjoys a wide variety of practice from seeing clients individually, training new practitioners, and speaking at many health and homesteading events. As a Naturopath, her practice is located at their health food homesteading store, Whitaker’s Natural Market, where they support the local natural, organic, and homesteading communities. As a farmer’s wife and avid homesteader, she and her husband, Marc, facilitate a monthly homesteaders gathering in their community, live the life as a family, and appreciate the freedom to homeschool their daughter. Dr Jocelin also cans, gardens, homeschools, knits, crochets, scrapbooks, and more in addition homesteading!